4-H Discovery Learning at Home - UMN Extension

 Minnesota 4-H @ Home 4-H Discovery Learning at Home4252913476250What is 4-H @ Home? 4-H @ Home is an after-school program that has been designed to be a compliment to what you are currently learning at home through your local school district. Minnesota 4-H prides itself in providing high quality, experiential, hands-on learning experiences to youth in grades K – 13. Below is a 4-H @ Home series that you can choose to participate in for grades 9+. No strings attached, no “homework” to report, just some engaging adventures that you can choose to do. Lesson Title: Pocket Gophers??18255Objective: Participants will increase understanding of what is a gopher and learn the skills of trapping a gopher and why gophers need to be controlled.?Life-skills: Problem solving, motivation, decision making, communication, ethical practices.What are Pocket Gophers??Pocket gophers, commonly referred to as just gophers, are known for their extensive and problematic tunneling activities.?There are about 35 species pocket gophers distributed across North and Central America. In Minnesota, there are two species of gophers including the plains pocket gopher and the northern pocket gopher.? The northern pocket gopher is quite rare and isolated to Northwestern Minnesota with the plains pocket gopher commonly found throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. In Minnesota, the most successful approach to preventing gopher property damage is through a dedicated in-season gopher trapping and control program.Mature pocket gophers are about 10 to 12 inches long and may weigh up to one pound.? They have small eyes and a short hairy tail, which they use to feel around tunnels when they walk backward.? Their brown fur closely matches the color of the soil in which they live. Identifying characteristics include large cheek pouches from which the word “pocket” is derived.? These pouches are fur-lined, can be turned inside out and extend from the mouth back to the shoulders.The lifespan of a pocket gopher is about five years.? Minnesota Gophers breed once or twice a year and give birth to 3 to 6 young per litter.? The young develop rapidly and by five weeks are weaned and ready to establish their own burrows.? Gopher control consisting of trapping is important to prevent their proliferation.Unlike moles, which consume worms and insects, gophers are herbivores and eat many types of plants.? This includes roots, bulbs, and other fleshy plant portions. They also eat common garden vegetables that grow beneath the ground including carrots, potatoes, and onions.Gophers cause damage to commercial, domestic, agricultural landscapes and the roots systems on forage plants.? This is why a trapping plan is necessary in Minnesota.???1-634Gophers in Minnesota create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food.? Their tunnels consistently intersect and vary in both length and depth. Gopher tunnels are typically larger in diameter and tend to be located deeper than mole tunnels.? Unlike mole tunnels, gopher tunnels are not visible above ground. Gophers dig their tunnels with their front feet and teeth. Their lips close behind their incisors while they dig to keep dirt out of their mouths.? Soil is pushed to the surface, forming fan-shaped piles of dirt or “gopher mounds.” Mounds are usually the first visual sign of gopher activity. Above all, this is an early indicator of needed control and removal efforts.? When active, gophers may create many mounds in a day and within a year can bring several tons of dirt to the surface.Damage to vegetable gardens and flower beds is very common in Minnesota.? Clipped seedlings and shrubs sheared just above ground level as well as root damage are common.? Extensive gopher damage can occur quickly and be expensive to resolve. Gophers often follow infrastructure within the ground including water and sewer lines.? They target irrigation as they need fresh water. ?Gophers will often locate and cut through pipes or electrical systems associated with wells, pumps, and sprinkler systems.? The first indication of gopher damage is typically a dead zone of brown grass caused by a break in a sprinkler system.? Erosion or sinkholes can occur as water is diverted from these leaking freshwater systems. If they hit a power or internet cable line, it will likely lead to service disruption and warrant a costly, inconvenient repair bill.As gophers remove significant amounts of soil from below, weight bears down from above and structural damage can occur to concrete or asphalt including sidewalks, driveways, and roads.? Parks, schools and municipal playing fields can become overrun with gopher mounds and declared off-limits for safety reasons. Gophers can destroy pastures leaving behind holes that endanger horses and farm animals.?If not eliminated, gophers can establish a damaging tunnel network. They will reproduce and become difficult to control. Trapping License? Gophers are considered pests therefore no licensing is required to trap them.All age youth can participate in gopher trapping with assistance.Minnesota Counties Continue to offer Bounties for Pocket Gophers.State laws allowing counties to offer bounties for gophers were enacted in 1909, and many counties continue to offer the bounty. Gopher trapping is a good way for kids to make some extra spending money.???Supplies needed for Trapping a Pocket GopherThe main item for the trade is traps; The death-Klutch trap is the most popular and can be purchased at most farm supply stores. 19525GlovesStakes Maker flagsGarden/trapping shovel6 X6 cover (plywood/asphalt shingles)?Four-wheeler or 2-footer (walking)Watch youtube on how to set death Klutch Gopher Trap. Setting the Traps in the Gopher Mound ???In the morning you want to look for fresh dirt mounds/ fresh mounds show signs of moisture. To find the tunnel using a stake or a sharp object to insert into the soil to find where the tunnel is.? Once you find the tunnel, dig out the tunnel using your shovel.??(see illustrations below)Once the tunnel is cleaned out you are ready to place the trap into the tunnel.Set the trap as shown in the above video, place a small wire or chain onto the trap in which you attached the stack to. Be careful not to set the trap off before you get the trap placed into the tunnel.Once the trap is set into the tunnel, you will want to stake the trap, so the gopher doesn't run off with the trap or another animal comes to take the gopher?Once the trap is secured with the stake, cover the hole with a cover and place dirt over the cover. ?And now wait for about 6-12 hours before checking the traps. 4029075114300 02519363Checking the Trap Line: A trap line should be checked at least once a day, evening checking is preferred, just make sure the morning traps are still secured, as gophers like to dig at night.??Checking the trap: simply remove the cover and carefully pull up the trap (hopefully you were successful, if not, you can reset the trap or move onto a different mound)If successful and the gopher is dead, simply cut off the two front feet using a garden shears or a pocket knife. Store the gopher feet in an airtight container in the freezer until turning into for payment from your township board. (Don’t know your township? Call your County Commission Board) If the gopher is still alive, you will have to kill the gopher (a simple strike to the head of the gopher with the shovel will kill the gopher) before cutting the feet from the gopher. 02519363Safety Tips for a Safe Pocket Gopher Trapping SeasonAlways wear gloves.Be aware gophers can bite so be cautious when pulling traps.?Protective clothing for the weather.Work boots are better than tennis shoesNOTE: All Trappers must be respectful to the land boundaries.? No Trespassing is acceptable in the trapping business, always get permission to trap on another person's property.??Sometimes, farmers/ landowners are glad to have gopher trappers and are willing to give additional bounty for the efforts of the trapper, but it may take courage to ask for that additional territory to trap. ( communication tip: practice what you might say before making the ask: begin with introducing yourself, tell what you are doing and why you would appreciate having the opportunity to trap gophers on the property and negotiate a fair wage for the effort ) For Those Visual Learners; Check Out Youtube. For some visual instructions there are various youtube videos on how to trap gophers, using various types of traps and trapping techniques. I would suggest checking them out, or reach out to an experienced gopher trapper and have them give you a one-on-one lesson. What Season is the Best for Trapping Pocket Gophers? Spring is a good time to begin pocket gopher trapping to eliminate the offspring.Summer is dry and warm which makes trapping more of a challenge. After a season of rain or trapping, irrigated fields can be profitable.Fall is a good time as well as the gophers are moving and preparing for winter. Moisture levels are a key factor when fall gopher trapping.Reflection: Digging Deeper: Take the Demonstration Challenge; Do an online video or a demonstration in front of a group (4-H club/ trappers association etc..) on trapping pocket gophers, indicating how to trap, why you choose to take up trapping and what you learn about yourself in the process. Searching for more…110797 Contact your local Extension Educator: Name: Email: Phone: -1047749525Developed by Minnesota NW Regional Team Afterschool 4-H @ Home: Local Extension Educators, Kaitlin Barbosa (Kittson County), Katie Becker (Polk County), Kim Dailey (Wadena County), Rebekah Donner (Mahnomen County), Linda Houglum (Norman County), Jackie Kokett (Douglas County), Lisa Kasson-Bauer (Clay County), Janet Malone (East Otter Tail County), Kayla Maas (Traverse County), Ashley Nerhus (Pennington County), Alysa Tulibaski (Marshall County)Author: Janet Malone, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, East Ottertail County (2020)Credits: Metro Mole Control: Mole Control in Minnesota website -1047749525 ................
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